Apparently, some lodging industry marketers haven't heard about the crisis facing our industry, the country and the world. While I'm sure they're well-meaning, many of the them are inserting too much levity in their marketing messages, without regard for the personal economic pain many guests and potential guests may be experiencing.
We're in severe economic hard times, and cutesy-sounding weekend packages and group promotions aren't the answer to solving hotel revenue shortfalls. In fact, they're probably counter-productive. I've seen numerous press releases in recent weeks touting "Economic Stimulus" weekend packages and "TARP" meeting offers. In normal times, it's appropriate to tap into current events and culture to create marketing themes and taglines. But just like the post-9/11 period, these aren't normal times, and many people are hurting financially and fear for their futures.
Promoting value is always a great message, but today it's important to do so with sensitivity to your audience.